


Just Friends

by Taimae



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Drunken Kissing, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 08:06:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15311139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taimae/pseuds/Taimae
Summary: Just good ol' chums. Best mates. A couple of pals.





	Just Friends

**Author's Note:**

> I got a nice prompt a little while ago that was "A Kiss That Takes them Both By Surprise" and I finally decided on these two because I haven't really touched on these two much, despite enjoying them a lot. 
> 
> Happy Reading!

Isabela and Kenyon were friends. Simple as that.

Well, maybe a little more than that. After all, Kenyon had quite a few friends and acquaintances. He didn’t spend lengths of time naked with Aveline or making out with Varric after all. So perhaps Isabela was a special kind of friend. But a friend nonetheless and Kenyon was fine with that. They had both agreed to it after all. In fact, they made sure to establish that very early on. They had a perfectly good thing going on right now and they weren’t going to ruin it within something as daft as ‘romance’ or ‘feelings’.

They had ground rules established, They could hang out and partake a bit of flirty banter, but no activities that seemed remotely like courting. No fancy dinners, no long, romantic walks or fancy gifts. No, hand holding, no kissing in public. They could sleep with other people if they felt like it. Spooning and cuddling post-coitus was kept at 15 minutes maximum. It was the perfect.

 

Tonight wasn’t a date. It was just a casual dinner with drinks at the Hanged Man. Besides, what date was followed by swindling a few fellow patrons out of some coin after a few games of Wicked Grace? It was nothing, but good, mischievous fun. They weren’t a couple; they were just amazing team mates.

It wasn’t a romantic walk they took after they were done at the Hanged Man. Maker no. They just needed some fresh air from all that drinking. Maybe the autumn moon was a little pretty; large and bright, lighting up the docks. But it’s not as though couples had a monopoly on the moon; it was just some weird glowing rock in the sky. What was romantic about that?

“Right. So what are we going to spend this on?” Isabela asked, lifting the small sack of coins.

“Blooming Rose?” Kenyon answered. “Though the place is packed with templars tonight and I think even I’m a little drunk to keep myself under wraps,” he snapped his fingers while a swirl of flames and snowflakes appeared at the tips.

“More alcohol then!” Isabela cheered. “But somewhere that’s not the Hanged Man,”

“There’s this place in Hightown-”

“Pass,” Isabela sneered.

“Let me finish. They have this place with this port from Antiva; I tried a bit and it’s great. I figure with a bit more of what I have saved up, we could buy it, and piss off a few noblemen along the way, maybe cause a ruckus. Then knock on Fenris’ door until he wakes up and we can play some Strip Wicked Grace,” 

“Now that does sound like some fun,” Surely Fenris would be a good sport about it; he would have to be by this point considering how many times they’ve drunken ended up on his doorstep.

Isabela let out a sigh of content and leaned against the mage as they continued to walk. Kenyon slipped his arm over her shoulders.

This wasn’t hand holding. Maker, he did this with Anders and Merrill when they had too much to drink. He’d do it for Varric if he was tall enough. This was just a friend supporting another friend as they tried to drunkenly make their way to the next venue.

Still, it was always a little more enjoyable when Isabela was the one he was dragging around. She was smart and adventurous, with a clever tongue. Not to mention a real beauty like no other. Even in the dark, he could see her cheeks flushed red from the alcohol. Her honey eyes reflected the bright moon.

He slowed his pace down to a halt.

“Hey,”

“Hm?”

Kenyon brushed her dark curls away from her face. He then leaned-in, tilting his head and lighting nipping at her bottom lip before kissing her. She was warm, soft, with the lingering taste sweet rum. He could feel her return the kiss and push in deeper, grabbing onto his shoulders tightly and steadying herself.

And that’s when they realized;

A rule was broken for real this time.

Quickly, they both opened their eyes and let go of each other, creating some distances.

“That was casual,” Isabela said, her eyes darting back at him for confirmation.

“Absolutely casual,” Kenyon reaffirmed. “Orlesians style. They probably kiss like that when they’re just greeting friends. That was completely and totally-,”

“Totally meaningless,” she pointed her finger up at him. “You got that? It was a ‘mutually beneficial’ sort of kiss. A ‘drunkenly banging at a sketchy tavern’ kiss not a-”

“A lovey-dovey couple’s kiss. Like we’re some sort of item,” he snorted, crossing his arms. “Because that would be… the worst…”

Isabela let out a sigh of relief, firmly patting the young man on the shoulder. “Good. Glad we’re on the same page. Because what have we said about feelings?”

“For poets, mothers, and suckers,” he nodded once more.

Right. That was made this arrangement perfect; why bring something like feelings into it?  They were just caught up in the moment a bit; too many drinks. Friends with benefits. A couple of young fools that were just a bit handsy with each other.

Because the one thing that they weren’t?

In love. 


End file.
